WHAT IT IS. Personal Property tax is regulated by the Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS), chapter 361. All property that is not defined or taxed as "real estate" or "real property" is considered to be "personal property". Taxable personal property includes all property used in conjunction with a business, manufactured homes, aircraft, aircraft hangars, and billboards. The taxation of business personal property has been in effect since Nevada became a state in 1864. The taxes are used to partially fund the expenditures of local governments, such as fire & police departments, parks & recreation, school districts and state bond reduction.

Business personal property is reported annually and must include all personal property used in the business on July 1st of the current fiscal year.

Tax exempt organizations need to apply for an additional exempt status with the County. For information on applying for exempt status please visit our FAQ page.

WHEN AND HOW TO FILE. The 2014/2015 Notices to File your personal property declaration will be mailed June 13, 2014. Declarations are due by July 31, 2014 or within 15 days of demand, whichever is later. Failure to file a complete asset listing requires the Assessor to make an estimate of your business property’s taxable value. Even if your business has no assets or has closed, you still must submit a declaration affirming this. Requests for an extension to file after the deadline should be emailed to extensions@washoecounty.us.

All declarations should be completed online using our e-Dec system at www.washoecounty.us/assessor/dec. If you have any questions or require assistance in completing the declaration, please contact the Personal Property Division of the Washoe County Assessor’s Office at 775-328-2213.

TRAINING SESSIONS.The Assessor's Office holds training sessions on how to correctly complete your personal property declaration. Anyone attending a session will receive an automatic 30-day extension. Trainings are held in the Health Department Conference Room, building B at the Ninth & Wells St. County Complex (use North Wells parking lot entrance). The training dates are:

Tuesday July 08, 2014 at 2:00 p.m.

Tuesday July 22, 2014 at 10:00 a.m.

TAX BILLS. The Assessor’s Office does not issue tax bills or receive tax payments; this is done by the Washoe County Treasurer’s Office. Businesses whose assets fall below a minimum value will not receive a bill. The Treasurer issues personal property tax bills monthly between September and April; payments are due 30 days after issue. The Assessor’s Office cannot predict in which month you will be billed. Once you have received a tax bill you can view the itemized assessment on e-Dec. To access the assessment you will need the same log-in information (account number & PIN) used to file your declaration; your Notice to File contains these numbers.

GLOSSARY

Personal Property - denotes type of property, not ownership.

Ad Valorem - "according to value"

Assessed Value - Thirty-five (35) percent of the total appraised (taxable) value of the property. This is the value on which taxes are calculated.

Depreciation - the estimate of the decrease in value of a wasting asset (not land) due to use, age or obsolescence. Personal property depreciation is calculated according to a schedule approved by the Nevada Tax Commission.

Fiscal Year - that period of time from July 1 of one year to June 30 of the following year.

Replacement Factor - A factor developed each year by the Department of Taxation to bring the original cost of the personal property to the "replacement cost new."